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Abraham Ayebakepreye Amba Ambaiowei

Abraham Ayebakepreye Amba Ambaiowei (28 February 1940 – 6 March 2023) was a foremost nationalist and minorities rights/Niger Delta rights advocate. He was also a medical practitioner and an accomplished public servant, serving in various capacities at both the State and Federal Government levels. He was a former Commissioner for Education, and Labour, Employment & Productivity, respectively, in the Old Rivers State in the administration of His Excellency, Chief Milford Okilo, and Chairman of the National Board for Technical Education under His Excellency, Gen. Olusegun Obansanjo, GCFR, and above all, an established professional medical practitioner and educator; amongst others.

As a minority rights advocate and nation builder, he played a major pioneering role in leading the Movement for the Creation of Bayelsa State for the Ijaws in the Central Niger Delta. He was Chairman of Bayelsa Forum from 1992 to October 1, 1996, when the State was created. Thereafter, he became the founding Chairman of the Bayelsa State Founding Fathers Forum.

Early life and education
Abraham Ayebakepreye Amba Ambaiowei was born 28 February 1940 in Amassoma of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria to late Chief Jacob Ambaiowei Yiworibie of Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and late Mrs. Priscilia Wuru (nee Oghene) from Enhwe in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Amba Ambaiowei attended St. Stephen’s Primary School, Amassoma in 1950, completed his primary education in 1956 and gained admission into the prestigious Okrika Grammar School (OGS) in Rivers State in 1957. In his final year at OGS, he was the Senior Prefect of Aggrey house which was testament to his brewing leadership skills. He left OGS in 1961 after obtaining his West African School Certificate (WASSCE/GCE).

Yoyng Amba secured a job as an accounts clerk with Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN). In 1964, a part-time evening programme at the Federal School of Science (FSS) gave him the opportunity to do an advanced level programme. In due course, as a brilliant young man, he was successful in his bid for a federal scholarship and enrolled for the A’ Levels examination at Federal School of Science in January 1966. He made his three papers at a sitting and in the first attempt thus armed with his A’ Level results, young Amba gained admission into the University of Lagos, to study Medicine in 1966. He eventually graduated in 1971 with an MBBS degree and became the first medical doctor from the entire Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State.

Medical career
Abraham Ayebakepreye Amba Ambaiowei's clinical skills were undisputed. He was able to do so many deliveries in a day and carried out sessions that surprised his Head of Department. This impressed his colleagues in such a manner that when Professor Bello Osagie was appointed Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Benin, he took along with him young Dr. Amba to work as a Senior House Officer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).

Following a fledging early medical career, young Dr Amba fell in love and became wedded to Lady Lilian Izonfadei (nee Owei) in 1972. Their marriage was blessed with nine children. Sadly, she passed on to glory on the 31st of May 2020. May her gentle soul continue to rest in perfect peace, Amen.

While in UBTH, Abraham Ayebakepreye Amba Ambaiowei rose to become a Registrar before leaving for the United Kingdom in 1974. He attended the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, London between 1974 to 1978. While in the UK, Dr Amba Ambaiowei worked in several hospitals as an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. He worked as a Senior House Officer in Edgware General Hospital in North West London from 1974 to 1975 and at Hammersmith Hospital in West London between 1975 to 1976. Between 1976 to 1978, he worked as a Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, The Middlesex Hospital London and at St. Mary’s Hospital Paddington in West London in 1979. He was the Chairman of the Amassoma Community Union UK branch from 1977 to 1979 and the Founder and General Secretary of the defunct National Party of Nigeria, UK & Ireland Branch between 1978 – 1979.

Commissioner for Education/Labour and Productivity, Rivers State
In 1979, Chief Melford Obiene Okilo; the first civilian Governor of the Old Rivers State invited Abraham Ayebakepreye Amba Ambaiowei back home from the UK and appointed him Honourable Commissioner for Education in the first civilian administration. The framework for the conversion of the Rivers State College of Science and Technology Port-Harcourt into a premier University of Science and Technology in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria was achieved under his supervision. As Commissioner for Education, Dr Amba Ambaiowei made access to secondary school easier for his people by establishing schools in places that hitherto lacked in those facilities due to difficult terrain. These places include Otuan, Olugbobiri, Foropa, Gbaraun, Ogboinbiri, Igbematoru, Diebu, Korokorosei, Kabiama, Ebedebiri, Angalabiri, Biseni, Ikibiri, Opokuma, Fangbe, Agudama-Epie, Tungbo, Ekowe, Sangana, Okoroma etc. He later also served as Honourable Commissioner for Labour, Employment and Productivity between 1980 to 1981 where he provided skills acquisition for youths in craft and vocational centres for their self-actualization. He also served as president, Rivers State Co-operative Financing Agency between 1988 – 1997.

Abraham Ayebakepreye Amba Ambaiowei balanced his medical practice with his political pursuits and as proprietor and medical director of Amba Hospital; opened in 1982 with two branches in Port Harcourt, he provided several free health care services to the people. He also established an annex of his hospital in Amassoma to give his people the much needed medical services and by so doing, was the first to establish a private clinic in his community.

Bayelsa State Creation Movement
In 1993, the demand for the creation of an ABAYELSA state (constituted by present day Bayelsa State and Ahoada) from the Old Rivers State was not realized under the military president General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, GCFR. However, an undeterred, resolute, visionary and indefatigable Abraham Ayebakepreye Amba Ambaiowei mobilized his colleagues, compatriots, protagonists and even young vibrant graduates as well as university students under the aegis of Bayelsa Forum/Bayelsa State Creation Movement in 1994 to pursue the demand for the creation of BAYELSA STATE from the then BALGA – YELGA – SALGA in the Old Rivers State (from which the name BAYELSA was coined) under the General Sani Abacha military regime. Through such unyielding efforts of men and especially by the grace of God, on 1st October 1996, BAYELSA STATE (The Glory of All Lands) was created.

Chairman National Board for Technical Education
Abraham Ayebakepreye Amba Ambaiowei was appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR to serve as Chairman National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in 2001 and served till 2004. Under that auspices, he effected an expansion proposal for the establishment of six additional Federal Polytechnics across the nation viz one in Abuja, Jigawa, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Katsina states. He notably converted Government Technical School Ekowe in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State to a Federal Polytechnic. In 2005, Dr Amba Ambaiowei was a member representing Bayelsa State at the National Political Reforms Conference instituted by President Olusegun Obasanjo and chaired by Honourable Justice Niki Tobi. Sir Chief Dr Amba Ayebakepreye Ambaiowei was a member of the Nigerian Medical Association, The Nigerian Association of General Medicine and Dental Practitioners and a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management. He also served as the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Niger Delta health Foundation, for Comprehensive Rural Health Services in the Niger Delta.

Awards and recognition
He was a recipient of many awards at community, state and national levels notably the MOSIEND Ijaw Youth Organization Merit Award in 1997, the Bayelsa State Government Merit Award in 1999, 2001 and 2006 for the leadership roles he played towards the advancement and development of the state. He was honoured with the South – South Peoples Distinguished Service Award by the South – South Peoples Assembly in 2005. In 2008, as recognition of his meritorious service to Ijaw nation building, Sir Chief Dr Amba Ayebakepreye Ambaiowei was bestowed Nigeria National Honour of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He received the Patriot of Ijaw Nation Merit Award in 2011. In 2014, he received the Bayelsa State Broadcasting Corporation (Glory FM’s) Hero’s Award as “The Initiator of the Bayelsa Dream” as part of festivities to mark their 15th anniversary celebration. He was also the recipient of the Distinguished Old Boy Award presented by the Okrika Grammar School Old Boys Association in recognition of his visible leadership in society and as a successful politician in 2019.